PEBC Teacher Residency: Professionalizing & Energizing the Teaching Profession

Phenomenal Teaching with PEBC

How might we support vibrant, diverse, passionate individuals to become teachers? Listen in as John Kearney, Director of Recruitment and Alumni Engagement for the PEBC Teacher Residency Program, shares the ways in which a career teaching is more accessible than ever before, and recent graduates, Nicole Herrera & Char Brock share their stories of their experiences of becoming educators.

John Kearney illustrates how the PEBC Teacher Residency is structured to meet a variety of incoming teachers’ needs, learning styles, and hopes. In addition, he shares ways in which the program supports all residents via coaching, mentoring, cohort collegiality, lab classroom visits, and authentic coursework. Finally, John highlights the ways in which the state of Colorado is elevating the importance of high quality teacher preparation by providing stipends that make teaching a reality for more people than ever before.

Nicole Herrera had never considered a career in education. She did not have teachers who looked like her nor had anyone ever suggested she enter the field of education. Her love for learning, advocacy, and community piqued her interest and the PEBC Teacher Residency program supported her desire to learn alongside other teachers from day one. As a resident Nicole was able to learn the craft of teaching, deepen her content knowledge, coach wrestling, serve on school based committees, and form the Journey of Our Heritage Club while earning her teacher license. This year Nicole will be teaching Social Studies.

Char Brock has worked in the field of education for nine years and served students through the Study Center at Arapahoe High School and Next Littleton GED Plus Program, yet she did not hold a teaching license. PEBC’s Teacher of Record pathway allowed Char to earn her license while concurrently teaching Intervention and Math at Englewood High School (with full pay and benefits). She was able to tap into her Masters of Educational Psychology degree and, with support from her cohort, co-teacher, clinical coach, and school mentor, she shifted from supporting students one-on-one to planning and teaching units and daily lessons. Char strives to elevate students’ assets so that they can see themselves as agents of their own learning.

If you or someone you know would make a Phenomenal Teacher, contact John Kearney at [e-mail]

The “Phenomenal Teaching Podcast” is brought to you by Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC) and is intended to elevate the strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework illustrated in Wendy Ward Hoffer’s book, Phenomenal Teaching. Those strands include community, planning, workshop, thinking strategies, discourse, and assessment. Thank you for joining us this season as we strive to share the stories of educators who are creating scaffolds for each and every student to ensure that classrooms and schools are places where agency, equity, and understanding can flourish.